- Mercedes has not provided pricing information for the 2023 EQE SUV. We expect a starting price near $80,000.
- Mercedes expects the EQE to earn a certification for 342 miles on a charge in European testing, but American tests produce lower range numbers.
Mercedes-Benz today premiered an all-new electric luxury SUV with options for 288 or 536 horsepower, as well as a list of luxury features so long it includes a “comfort health and wellness” system and four selectable soundscapes.
Meet the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
If the name sounds familiar, it should. The EQE is the SUV twin to the EQE sedan revealed last September. The two share many parts and play similar roles in the Mercedes lineup.
The company plans to sell an all-electric lineup in every market that has the infrastructure to support one by 2030. To get there, it’s in the process of creating an electric counterpart to most of its gas-powered lineup.
The EQE SUV is the electric equivalent of the GLE SUV in size and luxury, though the two share few parts. It’s one step in grade (and probably price) below the opulent EQS SUV, though Mercedes says it is “more dynamic” than its super-luxury kin.
“One-Bow” Design
Mercedes’ electric cars look decidedly different than the brand’s gas-powered models. Whether that’s a good thing is a matter of taste.
The German automaker describes the EQE SUV’s look as a “one-bow, cab-forward” design. To our eye, it looks a bit bulbous, like someone overinflated it.
It shares the glossy, many-starred false grilled of other Mercedes electric designs. There’s not a flat surface anywhere on it, which probably contributes to a low drag coefficient to assist with range, though Mercedes hasn’t published a number.
A prominent diagonal line low on the doors and two character lines in the hood keep it from looking too curvy. Complex, many-spoked wheels lend an air of sophistication.
Tasteful, High-Tech Cabin
The exterior may be a taste not everyone can acquire. But few will object to the interior, which looks stunning.
Early photos feature the Mercedes Hyperscreen, which turns the entire dashboard into one touchscreen surface. It will be optional. Standard equipment includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch central touchscreen in portrait orientation. The screens use a new logic Mercedes calls Zero Layer. It “keeps the most commonly-used applications always available in a situational and contextual way at the top of the driver’s field of vision.”
Other optional features push the luxury to extremes. They include augmented reality navigation that superimposes arrows on a digital rendering of the surrounding area. An “enhanced health and wellness system” varies climate control, lighting, and “energizing nature” sounds to keep the driver alert and calm.
An optional active fragrance system lets you choose scents to match the sound programs.
Three Trims, Two Powertrains
The EQE will be offered in EQE 350+ form as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with a single electric motor on the rear axle, good for 288 horsepower. An EQE 350 4MATIC model will be all-wheel drive (AWD), with a motor on each axle. It also produces 288 horsepower. An AWD EQE 500 4MATIC uses a motor on each for a total of 536 horsepower.
An AMG high-performance version will follow for the 2024 model year, with up to 677 total horsepower.
All EQE SUVs feature Mercedes’ Dynamic Select driving mode system with comfort, sport, eco, and customized individual settings. All-wheel-drive models also get an off-road setting.
The optional AirMatic suspension can raise or lower ground clearance by 1 inch. It continuously adjusts suspension damping to match road conditions.
Safety equipment includes an advanced driver assistance package with features like smart cruise control, lane-centering, active brake assist with a cross-traffic function, and a system that can communicate and receive information about driving conditions to similarly-equipped cars. That may have little utility at first but should become more useful as other cars adopt the technology.
